Monday, February 03, 2014

Eclair Cake to Celebrate 9 Years of One Hot Stove

One Hot Stove turns 9 years old today. 9 as in one less than 10, as in almost a decade, so unbelievable. So much has changed over these nine years both in my life and in food blog land. The latter has exploded from a constellation of blogs whose writers all had at least a nodding acquaintance with each other to a glittering megacity where the bar for writing and photography is set ever higher and where new food trends are born and nurtured every day.

But you know what? Some things haven't changed at all. I still manage to take surprisingly crappy pictures with a perfectly good camera (scroll down for Exhibit A). I still don't have my own domain (Internet-speak for a posh address). My blog still lives in the sleepy outskirts of blog land. I still clumsily pour out my words straight from the heart. And I still marvel that some nice people show up and visit me regularly.

Once in a while, someone who doesn't read or care about food blogs will hear that I write a food blog and they're like, "You write about recipes? That's so...interesting" very incredulous that someone would waste time this way. And I'll babble something like, "It is more than recipes, food is about connection, blogs are virtual communities" and then I trail off and change the subject because this whole thing is so hard to describe. You see, every now and then I will get an e-mail from a reader telling me that my words touched them somehow, and I stop in my tracks and tear up. I am so amazed and grateful. This gig that pays me nothing at all may be the most positive thing I do with my life.

All of this is my rambling way of saying that even though the world clearly has thousands of blogs that are way more polished and professional, I still love this little blog as much as ever and will continue to write it as long as I can because you never know when it will connect with someone.

So, gentle reader, please join me for a big serving of blog birthday cake. This one isn't a traditional cake at all but a layered concoction of graham crackers and custard and whipped cream called eclair cake. I was looking for a dessert that would feed a crowd at a friend's party and both her family and mine are crazy about vanilla custard so a dessert involving custard seemed like a good bet. It was during the holidays when I was all baked-out and wanted something different. This is a good recipe to file away for the summer months when you don't want to turn on the oven because you don't bake this cake at all.

The "traditional" eclair cake recipe contains several supermarket marvels such as cool whip, instant pudding and canned frosting. This version has many more homemade components, but you'll still have to hit up the cookie aisle to buy a box of graham crackers. If you're feeling ambitious, you can make those yourself- there are recipes out there in (where else but) food blog land.

This is one of those desserts that is totally simple and comforting. There's nothing sophisticated or trendy about it and that's OK. A bit like me and my blog.

Heat together in a small saucepan and simmer for a minute:1 cup granulated sugar1/4 cup cocoa1/4 cup butter1/4 cup milk1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Let the frosting cool for a few minutes.

Part 4: Assembly
In a 9 x 13 pan, put down a layer of graham crackers (you may have to break some to fit). Layer with 1/2 the filling. Repeat: graham crackers, remaining filling. Finally, a layer of graham crackers. Then pour the frosting over it. Chill for several hours. Serve it in shaggy, messy slices. Assure friends it tastes better than it looks.

This eclair cake is a nice make-ahead dessert. You can make it a few hours ahead of time or even the night before. In fact, you have to make it a few hours ahead of time to have the graham crackers soften.

In year 10 of One Hot Stove, I promise to bring you slick editing and stunning photography. Just kidding! You will see nothing of the sort. There will be the usual home-style khichdi
of recipes and books and crafts thrown in for good measure. But I do
have modest plans of updating the recipe index and things of that sort
to improve your blog experience a little bit. If you have any suggestions for what you'd like to see more of, I'm all ears. Thank you.

152 comments:

Hello nupur you have a wonderful blog out here and it's a pleasure reading your thoughts and ideas on varied topics. We don't visit your blog for snazzy photos, we visit it to read someone with great ideas and creativity and the generosity if spirit to share them.

Congratulations on completing 9 years of blogging. I love this blog. I have been following it for maybe 6-7 years now and I loved it from the day I first read it. You just have a way of connecting with people and the goodness of your soul comes through.Hope you and the blog reach many more milestones!

A small suggestion. Maybe you could write a post on what you cook for Lila. I remember you wrote she eats what you eat but now that she goes to daycare, what lunches/snacks do you pack for her, if you think it worthwhile

Nikita- we're very lucky- Lila's daycare provides 2 snacks and a lunch, everything they serve is fresh and nutritious, so we don't have to send any food to school. And yes, at home I don't make separate food for her, I serve her the same things we eat.

I come back again and again to your blog because of its simplicity. And ofcourse its awesomeness! Love your blog! Keep writing it as you do. Congrats on the nine years! I remember reading it regularly since the last 6 years.

Congrats on completing delicious 9 years...quite a milestone,,isnt it??? well u might not see many comments from me, but i do read ur blog very very religiously...infact this is the only blog that i read,,,no kidding here!! well, so ur eclair cake sounds like fun and a breeze to make, just a quick ques,,whats the substitute for graham crackers? i mean i dont think i have seen anything like this in department stores here in bombay,,,so if u have any idea of locat substitutes, i want to try my hand at it over the weekend.

Hi Nupur, Congrats on turning 9! I have been a longtime reader. Initially it was the pani puri pani recipe that had me hooked since the taste was spot on for me. But somewhere along the was it was your voice that spoke to me. Among all the blogs with their slick photography and fancy themes, to me yours stands out as the most honest. ' A natural beauty, not photo shopped'. I admire you for the honesty with which you write! Its like curling up on a couch and chatting with a dear friend. My wish for you is to continue to have the courage to stay true to yourself.

Congrats! 9 years already? Time flies! Wish you and OHS many more years of cooking and blogging! I do have one request. Some of your very old recipes don't have pictures. If you do make those dishes again, would you please take a picture (they're not crappy I assure you LOL) and update the post? Thanks in advance :)

Dear Nupur... i dont even remember how i happened to visit yr blog the first time. It has to be around the yr 2006 or late 2005 . That was when a niece introduced me to the world of blogs.

i might have landed here from a search which gave me a list of popular indian blogs. but since then, i have been a regular. a very regular reader, looking for you posts everyday and now waiting for them each monday. i switch on my computer at 9.30 as i have my breakfast... no post frm one hot stove? okk, i come back with my plate during lunch time. and then again at 6.00 pm and then before i shutdown for the day. That's how much i look forward to your post.

Anjali :-) I find myself checking several times on Monday's too just like you! Glad to know I am not the only one. Infact the one thing that miraculously wards off my Monday blues is a new post from Nupur. I simply love her for that!

I have never posted a comment here before, but yours is one of my absolute favorite blogs - crappy photos and all!! Although I don't think of them as crappy at all.I LOVE your honest writing style. Yes, these are so many blogs out there with stunning photos but very few have heart like I get to see here. So thank you Nupur for doing this and wish you another decade of simple honest blogging!Jayanthi

Congrats Nupur- 9 years is a long time in blogland! I love your blog and look forward to your posts food,talk everything.It is great knowing you (virtually! and I am sure we will meet some time :) ) Here's wishing many more delicious years for OHS.

Hi Nupur, I am long time reader of this blog and look forward to reading every new post on Monday! I simply love your writing and the recipes. I wish and hope you continue to write for many more years.

Happy birthday, OHS! I love your blog as it is, Nupur, I'm sure all your readers feel the same.Looking forward to many, many more birthdays celebrations and recipes and ramblings, to many pictures of Food, Lila and Duncan, to books you read and things you knit.

This blog was and will always be my most favorite blog ever and I thank you with all my heart. I love the fact that you blog about so many different things and every post is brimming with positivity and inspiration without being preachy. Although I admire photography in general, I absolutely Love that fact that you are not obsessed with it like most bloggers these days. Each post of yours is worth a thousand photos. :-) I mean it. Your writing has improved over the years and each post is such a delight to read and see (I loved the pictures of your sewing room that you shared recently). The way you connect to your readers is simply amazing and you have a way to make each one feel valued and loved. Here's wishing you lots of happiness, love and laughter this year and I can't wait to read all about it. :-)

Since you plan to work on the recipe index if you could bring some attention to the most loved recipes and posts on your blog (I know your pavbhaji tops the chart! It's become our family favorite too.) it would be really nice.

Congrats... 9 years is a long time. I love your blog and have tried a lot of recipes from your blog in fact for lunch today I made moong dal ghassi. I found your recipes easy to make and very yummy. Keep going strong I think lot of us like your blog the way it is and we look forward to and enjoy reading your posts.

Happy birthday to OHS! I'm a long time reader too, like many here and almost feel like you are an old friend :) Thanks for keeping your posts real and yours is probably one of the few authentic blogs out there.

Happy Happy Happy Birthday to OHS. Who wants stunning pictures when we have the straight-from-heart talk in OHS. You have been an inspiration Nupur. Long time loyal reader and will always remain one :-D

This post doesn't deserve a comment. It deserves a long heart-felt thank you email. But until I get around to writing that, I love you and love your blog. I have learnt much cooking from it and much positivity, groundedness and an appreciation of people, animals and all things craetive from you. Thank you Nupur.-Sowmya

happy birthday to OHS! I have been a very very loyal follower of your blog since 3-4 years when I found it, and have started commenting since the past year! Every week I look forward to your posts because each post feels so warm and fuzzy for some reason! You come across as a person who genuinely feels that being nice to others is the right thing to do (which is not very common these days)..Plus, many of your recipes have made their home in our kitchen. I dont have any suggestions for you as I love your blog as it is and I will be thankful for whatever you choose to write here :) Lotsa hugs

Nine years! Wow!!! I'm so grateful for all I've learned on your blog, for your dedication to teaching us about Indian culture and food, and for sharing snippets of your life. Here's to another nine years!

I don't know when I started following your blog..trying recipes, reading stories, making a read list, learning to crochet....you have been a part of my daily life. I love stories and you cater to my fav genre: food stories.

Echoing the sentiments in many of the comments above, your blog and your voice both come across as so authentic. Its an oasis of sorts really. So I hope all of these encomiums don't make you self-conscious:) Its a reality of life today that social media, being so ubiquituous, often forces one to cultivate an image and stage manage it carefully. Without souding like a luddite, it is true that its really hard to retain one's uniqueness in a world that is trying very hard to mould us into someone else's (largely dubious) standards of "perfection"- be it of beauty or intelligence or wealth or some other talent. Its always nice to come across a writer/blogger/cook with whom you know you would love to spend a lazy chatting, snacking, frisbee playing afternoon. Your blog is smart, interesting, delicious and above all full of heart! In short.. You Rock girl! Don't change a thing about you or your blog! They're entirely awesome..

Hi Janani- I never let praise get to my head or criticisms get to my heart :) I accept both gratefully though, so thank you. I'm just happy that I can be myself here and find like-minded people to chat with. Thank you for this very kind comment.

Dear Nupur, Congratulations! I LOVE your blog. I have been lurking off and on since you were in the one stove apartment getting ready to move to St Louis. (I only follow 2 blogs.) You write with heart as someone else said,( and with intelligence and energy and talent....) So glad I stumbled onto OHS!You inspire me, advise me, broaden my horizons, and help me feel rooted within the Maharastrian/Indian/Indo-american culture....I also look forward eagerly to each new post. So please don't stop! Love and hugs, R

Nupur, I have a request please. I adore your sewing projects. It is very hard to search for them as they are all in different posts(where the heading is recipe name). Could you please make them easily searchable/accessible somehow? May be a sewing or hobby projects index just like a recipe index would work. It would be such a great help. Thanks a lot

Congrats to you and OHS :-) A big milestone indeed :-) I've been an avid reader of your blog for several years now and truly enjoy all your posts related to food, books, arts, crafts, charity and such. You've multifarious talents just like me and you constantly inspire me to learn something new...

Wishing you many more years of blogging and thanks for everything you do...

After all the 'polished and professional' blogs out there - One Hot Stove is the one blog I always come back to! In fact, your writing has been the biggest inspiration for me to start my own blogs! So, congratulations on your milestone Nupur - looking forward to many, many years of your wonderful, from the heart blog posts!

I dont know about posh domain addresses, and slick photography notwithstanding.. your bolg strikes a cord, because your words and the food that you cook comes from your heart!!.. I have read almost all your articles (I suppose I should say blog posts).. and I must say, whether you share a day in your life, or the food that you cook, or simply some doggy adventures, it all comes straight from the heart. And I love it and appreciate it..

Keep it up!! Its ok if you dont do anything fancy.... This blog is great just the way it is!!

I still feel at times to just call u and find out more abt ur time management skills!! how do u do it all...like you are working, cooking, raising a kid n a dog, managing a home, writing, making, reading ....the list could go on n on..... I am soooo inspired !! I really want to knw how u do this all....

Hi Mauli- There's no magic to the time management. I'm made certain choices like working part time that open up a lot of time for me. And I don't do everything all the time. One evening I'll read, another I'll knit, another I'll write a blog post. We're all doing our best to live life the best way we can! Thanks for the nice note :)

I'll add back the blogroll- I removed it to edit it- many blogs on there were dormant. Stay tuned.

Thank you for putting One Hot Stove in our lives for 9 years now. There are many wonderful things about the blog - the recipes of course, the books and craft work that you revel in, the snippets of your life and the fact that you share your thoughts so freely. But the single thing that blows me away is your generosity, not only with food but also affection, time and effort, despite your life being quite full already. I find that truly inspiring and it has pushed me to spread a little more joy (in the form of food) among those around me.

Here's to many more OHS birthdays! Oh and I can proudly say that I visited the original hot stove in NYC too ;)

Congratulations Nupur and Hot Stove:) Your blog in simplicity inspires. I have tried so many recipes from your blog, and they have always turn out yum! Next in my to do list from your blog is to try crafts, Happy Many More!! and big thanks

Many hearty congratulations, Nupur! OHS is on my everyday drive through route of blogs and there is always a burst of sunshine when I open to see a new post. You have taken us along your life and its many milestones - marriage, baby, work, family, neighbour girl, Dale stories - and told it through food. And what a wonderful meandering, ever-unfolding little plate it has been. Here's a good many more!

Michael is getting back from Shanghai on Friday and I think I might make this to celebrate his return and to celebrate your 9 years of blogging!! I'm so glad we found each other in this wide world of blogging and here's to many more years of getting to know each other!!

Congratulations Nupur ! I come to your blog for a "feel good" feeling...you come across as a very very genuine person and you write straight from your heart. One feels positive spirit after reading your posts..thank you ! I only follow 4 blog and yours is the only one that doesn't have advertisements...just shows you are doing it with passion and from the heart !! i might be older than you but you are someone who i look up to...

Happy blog anniversary Nupur ! I think I have been a part of your journey for most of your 9 yrs and would like to take a moment to thank you for all the wonderful recipes that you churn out year after year..it has been such a treat following both your blog and you!Anjali

Congratulations Nupur. Its so refreshing to read your blog, your style of writing is simple and unadulterated, strikes a chord with me for sure as with so many other readers out there. Hats off to you !!!! Wishing you many, many more years of blogging.

I have been reading your blog since your New York days. As many of your readers have commented, I too look forward to reading your posts. It is like having a nice conversation with a super nice person! Paneer pulao, pav-bhaji and kichadi are some of your recipes that are favorites in my home.

Happy 9th birthday to One Hot Stove! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog ever since I stumbled across it some 5-6 years back looking or a pavbhaji recipe :-) Keep up the great work you have been doing!Best wishes,Sapna

Wish you and the lovely blog a very Happy and Flourishing 10th anniversary(belated)!!You are truly an inspiration, this is least I can say about you!! And OHS is testimony to ‘simplicity is glory’. Whichever recipes I tried from your blog, came out as hearty as the way you write. The way you are ruling your kitchen, home and work is an eye-opener  Thanks so much dear for sharing this wonderful blog. It means a lot to me, trust me. Lots of hugs to you.

Congrats, Nupur! You and I are among the first few food bloggers, but I'm so pleased that you and your blog are still going strong, only getting better with time! :) By the way, I agree with *almost* everything you've said, but for this phrase "I still clumsily pour out my words" (although the second half of that sentence is as true as can be). Your words pour out from the heart, but "clumsy" is NOT a description that applies to your writing or your recipes. Mind you never use that word again! :)

Happy Blog Anniversary, Nupur! May you have many many more.I like your space so much and it is fairly ridiculous how often I check for new posts and re-read the old ones. Thank you for being the creative and grounded 'kindred spirit' you are and for sharing.

Congratulations :-)! Your blog is a great source of recipes for me - ones I can be sure won't result in disaster :-). Thank you for your great work and thank you for keeping the blog going strong through all the changes in your life. You'll still have me reading 10 years down the line!

Congratulations on this milestone! I enjoy reading your blog and always look forward to new posts though I dont comment as often. This blog is such a nice mix of food and crafting and books and every post is a treat to read.

Nupur, Congratulations on 9 years of blogging ! That is really some feat, with a baby, job, knitting, quilting and shifting homes. I think the fact that you have kept it simple, sweet and still have that connect with your readers is the most endearing thing about your blog. You are a big inspiration on how you manage to do so much in the same 24 hours that we all have. Every post makes for such an interesting read and I really love reading them. Here's to many many more years of blogging...

hi, time flies.:-) I am regular reader of your blog for simple joy of you musings , be it on food , or books, or life. I love food and you are right. food is about connecting with soul of nature. I came across this blog thanks to Sidin Vadakut's blog whatay.com. he mentioned about the snack parsi snack. interesting I have forgotten about the snack :-) but got hooked to this blog.

Congratuations Nupur! Keep doing what you do best - cooking and writing from the heart. One of the most memorable posts on your blog have been the A-Z series, posts on regional cooking and more recently the list series. I love your writing style! Infact, I recall a little piece of food fiction on your blog a few years ago. I think you should do more of those in the coming year :)

Dear Nupur, congratulations on your 9th blog birthday. I daresay that those of us who love your blog love it because you speak straight from the heart and just are who you are. Your blog was my inspiration when I started to blog six years ago, and you continue to be an inspiration amid a gaggle of what seems like a million food blogs that provide nothing more than recipes and photos. Here's to many more years of reading One Hot Stove-- I can't wait to read what you serve up next! :)

Happy Birthday One Hot Stove and Congratulations Nupur! I just realized I have been reading your blog for as long as you have been writing it! And of course it was an inspiration to start my own blog too. Cheers!ps. we are in the middle of a move, will email soon.

Dear Nupur,Happy 9th! Wish many many more wonderful years of OHS and amazing time ahead for You and Your family (dog included)! BTW, You are a brilliant writer and your photos are not crappy, they exude warmth by gallons. Warm Wishes.

Dear Nupur,Belated happy birthday to you & OHS! I have been a regular reader for the past 1-1.5 yrs. I don't recall how I came across your blog- but I was hooked right from your beginning. I remember I was reading for some exams at the time and the afternoons were quite tedious- and reading your blog made it so much interesting. I have enjoyed your blog not just for the awesome, easy and tasty recipes, but also for a lot of other inspirations. For example - you inspired me to try out cast iron cookware (which I love!), to try composting, be more mindful of food wastage, to have a pantry/fridge/freezer eat down, and I discovered the Goodreads website from your blog. I also loved taking part in the 2 swaps that you organized last year. Are there any such events planned for this year?So, thanks again for the lovely blog, and for generosity in sharing it all. Most of all, I like that your blog has such an honest and heartfelt voice- no smart and sweet talk! Looking forward to all your future posts! Hope you all stay safe in the forthcoming storm this week.Shilpa.

Thank you for this kind note, Shilpa! I'm so glad to share the things I love and it is nice when others try them and love them too. I've had too much on my hands lately to organize a swap, but will try and host one later this year. Stay tuned!

Dear Nupur, Happy Blog birthday. and wishing you and us readers many more years of your unique and endearing style of blogging. One of the reasons I come here like an addict is just because this blog is all you. reflects your life, personality and identity.

Hey Nupur, wishing u a happy blog birthday... May u have many more... Your blog is one of the very few that i have stuck to for years, even my small family knows about it on a first name basis:-) . Your giving nature and warmth reflects through all your writings and your replies to your readers. If you ask me that'ssomething more appealing than anything posh polished . Keep up the good work.

Hi Nupur, Happy blog birthday! I've been an avid reader of your blog for months and I love the honesty, warmth and simplicity that shine through. You were part of my inspiration to start a food blog and I hope I can grow to write half as well as you do! Reading about your cooking, knitting, sewing, quilting, raising a baby and a happy dog have pushed me to be more responsible with my time :)Here's to many more years of blogging!!!

Happy blog birthday, Nupur! Your blog is so you and it's amazing how you've retained your voice over the years. In fact, one of my favourite passtimes is to go through the archives- your writing (and recipes) are such treats! This is still one of the first sites I start my day with. Thank you- for continuing to write from the heart, and for putting up just the kinds of recipes I want to cook in my kitchen. Cheers to many, many more years of OHS!